Xbox One Gets Over-The-Air TV Tuner Support

Microsoft is giving gamers yet another reason to cut the cord; Over-the-Air television is heading to the Xbox One.

According to a post on Xbox Wire, the console's newfound abilities are available in the US, Canada, and 11 European countries starting today. Though, you'll need to pick up a USB TV tuner and a digital antenna to get things rolling.

For many users, this feature won't be particularly exciting. Most televisions already include an over-the-air tuner, so using your Xbox to stream live TV feels a little redundant. But Microsoft has included some features that make the Xbox One experience unique.

Here are a few:

Watch Over-the-Air TV on Xbox One: With the supported TV tuner and antenna, you can watch free, over-the-air television channels available in your area without changing TV inputs. TV interweaves itself seamlessly with your gaming experience on Xbox One, enabling you to watch TV while you wait for a multiplayer match to start or even receive game invitations and notifications while watching your favorite show.

OneGuide for TV Listings across Sources: OneGuide provides a full-screen view of all of your TV listings. In addition, MiniGuide allows you to quickly browse the TV listings and see the latest Tweets about the show you’re watching in the U.S. You can use your Xbox One Controller or the Xbox One Media Remote to navigate the OneGuide and MiniGuide.

TV Viewing in Snap: Snapping TV allows you to watch TV on the right side of your screen and leave the main screen for games, Skype or other applications.

Pause Live TV: Need to take a break? Pause whatever you’re watching and Xbox will cache for up to 30 minutes so you can catch up when you get back.

Favorite Channels: Easily build your own customized OneGuide by marking channels as “favorites,” so that you can easily see what’s on the channels you care about and tune-in.

Kinect owners can also use the Xbox's voice commands to channel surf or direct the console to a specific network. So, if you're settling in with a nice bowl of Ben and Jerry's and the latest episode of Jane the Virgin, you won't need to put down your spoon to change the channel.

The coolest part about the Xbox's over-the-air expertise is the SmartGlass integration. Even if a family member co-opts your television, you can stream Jane the Virgin to your Windows, Windows Phone, iOS, or Android Device.

Being a Jane the Virgin fan just got a lot easier.

If you'd like to know more about the Xbox One's over-the-air television capabilities, check out this video: